2. Assessment and Observation

Start noticing when you mouth breathe. Observe what triggers it. Is it stress, physical exercise, or do you do it all the time? When you catch it, switch to nose breathing.

Notice if you sigh excessively. If so, when do you sigh most? Is it a habitual thing? Are there environmental queues?

Look at your blood sugar averages on your tester, or your HbA1c if you have a recent one. The end goal is to improve our blood sugars. So, as you begin your breathing practice, it’s good to know where you are starting.

Do you wake up with a dry mouth? Do you snore? Do have excessive daytime tiredness? These are good things to note…once you start taping your mouth at night, you might see dramatic improvements.

Practice Breathe Light. This will teach you to reduce your breathing volume. Start with 2-5 minutes a day and gradually increase to 15-20 minutes a day.

Next, practice slow breathing. I use a free app called “Breathing Zone.” Your goal will be to get down to 4-6 breaths/min. However, start at a rate that is comfortable and gradually reduce it.

Combine the two. Practice Wu-Wei Breathing: Breathe slowly and lightly. This is the final goal. Sit or lie down and breathe at a rate of 3-6 breaths/min, while also taking smaller breaths so that you introduce a slight feeling of air hunger.

The last step is to incorporate breath holds into your daily practice. However, this should be started under the supervision of a coach because breath holds can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. Here are some resources for getting started: